He Wasnt the Villain of her Story
by zokens
Summary: Rey reflects on her feelings about Ben Solo POST TROS. CONTAINS SPOILERS. if you catch the subtle Zutara and Klaroline references in this, then you're a real one. slightly fixed the ending even though I was sad with the dumpster fire that was TROS, I wanted to write some Angst, therefore this is a cannon divergence fic, so here you all go.


Ben's smile was the most beautiful thing that Rey had ever seen in her life. She felt his hand stroke her cheek gently as he looked into her eyes. He was memorizing every inch of her face down to every freckle and every shade of green and brown in her eyes. the pad of his thumb delicately stroked at the space under her ear. Rey felt the tears slide down her cheeks as she pulled away from his lips,

" You saved me" she whispered, desperately holding onto him.

Ben smiled still, then nodded. " I had to save you, Rey"

" Thank you"

" I should be the one thanking you, Rey, you helped bring me back. You brought _Ben _back."

A choked laugh escaped her mouth, followed by a sob.

"Ben. I love you." Rey said, desperately holding onto the little bit of life-force he had left.

Ben shuddered once, twice, then slowly began to fall back.

Rey gripped onto his hand tightly, then began to look around frantically, sobbing. She was looking for any hope. Anyone to come and revive him.

There was nothing. No sign of Anakin or Luke. None of the other Jedi either. It was achingly empty.

" Don't you dare do this, Ben Solo" she screeched, sobbing harder. " ANAKIN? LUKE? " She wailed desperately. " COME BACK. BEN. COME BACK"

Silence. Absolutely nothing.

Why?

Had she failed them somehow?

Rey looked back down at Ben's body, trembling as he began to vanish.

"NO. NO NO NO NO!" She screamed repeatedly. This wasn't happening. She felt her heart hammer in her chest so violently. She felt like her heart was being torn out in the most brutal way.

" Ben. Come back" she whispered brokenly.

Rey frantically scrambled to pick up the black jumper. It was all that was left of him. Of Ben. Her heart ached at the feeling of emptiness. She hadn't felt empty ever since Ben came into her life and now that he was gone, she felt it harder than ever before. A deep, lonely pit of despair.

he left her. she heard the words echo in her mind.

" you're not alone" he had told her once before.

She was alone now. More alone than ever.

Rey tried to scramble to her feet, clinging onto the material of his jumper tighter than ever. She didn't want to let it go. It was all she had left of him. She began to limp toward the ship the best she could as soon as she scrambled towards her ship, ignoring the pain in her chest.

Kriff, what would Leia think? She told her before that she would bring Ben back home. She failed. Even if the resistance won she felt like she lost. she lost everything one he had taken his last breath.

Rey steered the ship back towards the base.

As soon as Rey landed the ship, she gripped onto the material of Ben's jumper once more, fingering the material, trying to ensure to herself that she still had it and it hadn't disappeared too. Relief pooled in her belly as soon as she felt it in her fingers.

She got up from the seat, then opened the door, refusing to loosen the grip.

She caught sight of Finn and Poe and broke out into a sprint. Her body screamed at her, but she had to get to them. To Leia too.

" REY!" Poe and Finn both screamed, embracing her tightly. Rey couldn't stop the tears once again. she began to sob desperately into their arms.

" What happened? What's wrong?" Finn asked nervously

Rey pulled back from the hug, holding up Ben's jumper.

" I don't..Understand..." Poe stammered.

" It's Ben's. He's gone. He died for me. He saved me.. he gave up his life so I could survive" she whispered.

Finn and Poe were silent. They weren't fans of Ben Solo- Kylo Ren at that point of his life.

Rey shuffled a bit. She felt uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to call them out on it right this second.

" I need to see Leia"

" She's.."

Rey's heart fell.

" She didnt make it" Poe finished for Finn.

" No. what.. what happened?"

Poe shakes his head. " we dont know. Maz was there though. I'm sure she'd tell you. Hey. I'm really glad that youre safe"

Rey smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She nodded, then turned to where Maz was. " I'll be back. I need to talk to her"

Finn and Poe backed away from her and watched as she made her way to Maz.

" My dear, look at you" Maz murmured, looking into her eyes.

Rey looked down, desperately trying to avoid the contact. " Maz" she murmured. " what happened to Leia?"

" she.. reached out to Ben Solo with the remaining life she had left."

Rey knew now that the feeling she felt on the boat was true. She had hoped it wasn't real. She didn't want to believe that Leia had really died. It was the same denial that she had been in with her parents. Everyone was gone now.

" she did it for Ben?"

" yes, dear child. " Maz nodded.

" he's gone too," she shakes her head. " Ben is gone. For me.. he-"

" you don't have to tell me, Rey. I'm sure it's between you two. Keep it personal. It's a special thing you two shared. I've seen your eyes"

Rey brought her hand up to her face, shakily wiping it. " thank you. "

" no, thank you, child. Go rest. You deserve it."

Rey shakes her head. " not yet. There's so much more to be done, I cant rest until I know it's done"

" Whatever it is, it must be important"

" It is. tell everyone that I'm fine, but I need to do this, it's what they would've wanted."

He wasn't the villain of her story. She realized that now. She picked up the soft black material and brought it to her face, letting out a shaky sob. She remembered what she was told. Ben and her were one. Dyads. Twin flames. Skywalker legacy was gone and she knew that. It had ended with Ben.

Rey sat down next to the sand after she buried the lightsabers on Tatooine. She looked up at the sky, closing her eyes for a moment to reflect on everything that had happened to her from the very second she met BB-8 and Finn. So many losses. So much pain. It was finally over, but she felt no better than she had felt when they were at war.

A figure materialized next to her. Lanky and dark haired.

Rey smiled softly when she felt the familiar presence next to her. She opened one of her eyes, then tilted her head. Ben was here.

" You're here?"

" Of course I'm here. I would never abandon you" he said calmly, staring down at her small frame. He chuckled a bit. " I like your choice of clothing" he said, running his fingers over the material of his jumper.

Rey shuddered shakily.

" I miss you"

" I know. I'm here for you. We all are. "

" All?" Rey questioned.

Leia, Luke, Anakin, Qui-Gon, Yoda, Mace Windu and al of the legends she had heard so much about stood behind her.

" We are so proud of you, Rey' Leia said softly.

Ben slid his slim fingers in Rey's hair, gently stroking it.

" It's okay." He said comfortingly to her.

" It isn't okay. Youre all gone.. and I-"

" We aren't truly gone. The force is with you, with us. We are all connected" Luke chimed in.

Rey's eyes shone with tears once more.

She had remembered what she was asked before.

Rey who?

Who was she now? She had no idea. Just "Rey" had been enough for her. Maybe that was who she was.

" It's okay to take the name, Rey" Ben murmured, as if he was reading her mind. It was second nature to read her. He knew her better than she knew herself.

" I'm Rey Solo" she said softly. Then looked at the sky once more before repeating it.

" Rey Solo"

Ben smiled again.

" Yeah, you're a Solo now" he kissed the crown of her head. " will you do me a favor?"

Rey turned towards him once more, raising an eyebrow in question.

" A favor?"

" Go away from this place. I don't want you to be alone. Go back to your friends. Dont isolate yourself. You've been alone for a long time, but you aren't anymore"


End file.
